A Point of Light
by Fruipit
Summary: Queen Elsa of Arendelle visits her parents' grave every year. Every year it snows. Every year, she sheds no tears. Nothing's ever changed before now. Not until her carriage broke down. Not until a little girl approached her, just trying to sell her matchsticks. {big!Elsa, little!Anna, insp. by wordmangler's "there sleeps a living flower" and ultranos' widdershins prompts on tumblr}
1. Matchstick

_I was given some prompts on Tumblr a very long time ago and forgot about them. I recently remembered them, and this story was born of the first one that came up. There are, currently, four chapters. Two are written, and I'll finish the others tonight and post them... likely tomorrow. I will try to resolve the story by the end of the fourth. This is not romantic Elsanna. I hope you enjoy nonetheless._

 _Inspired by Wordmangler's_ There Sleeps A Living Flower _, and Ultranos' "Widdershins" prompts and AUs on Tumblr. Name credited to Olofa (who has written the best Elsanna+OC work out there. JS)_

 _Unedited,_ _March 3, 2016_

* * *

Elsa didn't like snow. She didn't like the winter months or the cold. It didn't affect her, as such, but her fingers still clenched in her thick leather gloves. She should be home by now. Needed to be. The sun was setting, and she knew exactly the kinds of people that hung around after dark. Those who cared not for women, or nobility. Ones who would take and take from her with nary a thought.

They were almost home, she was sure of it. Kai, her manservant, was driving the small carriage, returning from Elsa's annual visit to her parent's grave. It wasn't safe enough to come more frequently. Her gaze never left her fingers as she mused on that. It was sad, she supposed, but years spent with ice as her only companion, she wondered if she hadn't turned into the harsh material herself.

She was drawn from her thoughts at the sound of a crack and a yelp, and a sudden jolt that had her tipping forward in her seat. Poking her head out the window, she saw Kai on the ground next to the carriage, groaning. She had two guards travelling on foot, and they rushed to help him to his feet.

Elsa wished she could have helped, but… Touching people never ended well. He thanked her anyway, along with the men, even though she hadn't done anything.

And then they noticed the wheel.

The snow had hidden a deep pothole; as the wheel had come over it, it had become stuck. Time and pressure had rendered it weak, and without fuss it had split cleanly down the middle.

"Oh dear," Kai said, and Elsa could only nod in agreement.

They were much too far away to walk to the castle – not in this weather. The sky was darkening ever-faster, and soon there would be no light nor heat. Glancing around, she realised there was little hope of getting a message to the castle, and even less of a chance of procuring a new carriage. They must have been in one of the poorer districts – only the nobles would have a carriage. She turned to the two guards.

"Go at once to every house on a property," she said. "Ask to borrow a horse, in the name of the Crown." She paused, before taking off her necklace and her earrings. She gave the necklace to one guard, and the earrings to the other. "Give them these as a sign of good faith. When we return the horse, we shall provide some gold and take back the jewellery."

The gave a sharp nod at her words and moved off in opposite directions. Elsa looked at Luna, the old grey steed. She was tall and hulking, and perhaps the guards could ride her, but not Elsa. Not without a saddle, at any rate. She should have asked them to get a lead line, too, but it was too late now.

A chill breeze soon picked up, and so they moved into the carriage. Kai lit the small hanging candle, and though it wasn't warm, it shielded them from the worst of the weather. It was only snowing lightly, thank goodness, but a storm was definitely brewing.

It always stormed when Elsa saw her parents.

They'd been sitting in the carriage for some time, neither feeling the need to break the soft silence, when it was broken for them. Elsa noticed far earlier than Kai, but brushed it off as the wind.

It was hard to ignore the crunching of footsteps on snow. It was even harder to ignore the light knock that sounded against the door.

Despite the fact that no brigand would bother to knock, Elsa was still made to sit as close to the opposite side as possible while Kai, drawing his small dagger hidden in his shoe, opened the door.

They almost didn't see the girl – she barely came up to the floor of the carriage in height. Bright red hair, dulled by uncleanliness and the poor light, was tied back in small pigtails. Her clothing was threadbare, showing patches of freckled skin in places. Kai put his dagger away as surreptitiously as possible as Elsa moved closer.

Gods above, the girl wasn't even wearing _shoes_. She was only a child, barely five years old, in all likelihood – and out in this weather?

No one spoke for a second. Neither Kai nor Elsa knew what to say.

And then the girl looked at Elsa, green eyes wide and imploring, telling not the facts of the girl, unlike her clothing, but her _history_. She held out her hand, a small box resting in her palm, and spoke in such a soft, quiet voice that even in the silence of the evening, Elsa struggled to hear;

"Please, would you buy a matchstick?"


	2. Shy

She hadn't done very well that day. Her papa would be upset, which was why Anna had, in one last effort, approached the carriage stuck in the middle of the street.

Her feet burned in the snow, the chill attacking her skin like thousands of shards of glass, but if there was even the slightest chance of selling her matchsticks, she'd take it.

 _Sore feet is far less painful than what Papa will do_ , she chided herself softly before approaching the carriage.

The horse was massive – it could squish her under one hoof if it tried! – but still she put one toe in front of the other because they must have been rich. No one owned a carriage in these parts, and definitely not one as beautiful. All golden-colours adornments and embellishments, with coloured rosemaling decorating the corners.

And so she knocked and, after a few seconds, found her words.

"Please, would you buy a matchstick?"

There was a man and a woman in the carriage. He was old, all wrinkly and grey, but he was fat too, and he looked warm – he looked nice.

She was… If Anna thought the carriage was beautiful, then this woman was definitely an angel. Striking blue eyes and clear skin. She didn't have freckles. She didn't have the Devil's hair. Anna's free hand came up to tug at one of her ponytails. She was beautiful, even if she had an expression akin to disgust on her face, and Anna hoped she wasn't dirtying anything. Hoped she didn't smell too bad because sometimes that was what made people steer clear of her.

Her feet were getting really sore. The snow was getting colder, too, and she wondered if her father would maybe be lenient with his punishment. If she couldn't go out to work, she couldn't make him his money. Or perhaps she'd get lucky, and he'd be asleep with his drink, leaving her alone for the night. She could always make up the quota tomorrow.

Hand falling, Anna also let her gaze drop to her toes. The woman made a small noise, but it seemed directed at the man. He moved, possibly making a gesture in return, but all Anna could think about was the full box of matchsticks in her hand, and how each day, she sold less and less.

"What is your name, child?"

The man spoke first, and while his words were soft and – dare she say it – _kind,_ Anna's eyes still widened, and she still had to bite her lip to work up the courage.

"'Mmm Anna, Mister… Sir…"

The man smiled for a moment. "Mister Sir?" he asked, and Anna nodded. Papa always said to call people 'Mister' or 'Sir', but this man seemed too important for just one of them.

"Now, Anna, my name is Kai," he said. "And we would love to buy your matchsticks, but, as you can see, we're a little bit stuck at the moment."

Again, Anna nodded. It was nice, hearing those words, even if she could do nothing with wishes. "Okay…" she said, voice small. "Thank you, Mister Sir. Missus Pretty Lady."

She was two steps away from the carriage when she heard a noise behind her. The man – Kai – had jumped down and was on his knees, more than likely getting his pants wet in the process.

"You see, Miss Anna, we're stuck," he said, and Anna was only confused because she wasn't a 'miss'. She wa no one, and no ones don't get any title. Before she could correct him, he continued. She didn't say anything. He was her superior, and he was educated and older. So obviously he knew better than she.

"We're stuck but we have guards coming back with horses very soon. If you would stay a while longer and accompany us home, we can provide payment there?"

Anna held her little matchbox close to her chest. The longer she was out, the angrier Papa would be. Her stomach let out a plaintive cry, and she realised the longer she was out, the more likely he would eat the last of the potatoes, too.

She saw Kai's gaze flicker to her stomach, before they landed on her eyes again. He gave a little smile, and she had an overwhelming urge to return it.

"We haven't eaten either," he said. "So how about a light dinner, too?"

They were offering her food and money, and, if for just one hour, warmth and friendly faces. Biting her lip, Anna nodded.


	3. Warmth

The guards returned to the carriage only a few minutes after Anna had joined Mister Kai on the plush seat. The pretty woman kept giving her strange looks, her eyes flicking between Anna and Mister Kai.

No one said a word as they made their slow way up the castle. Anna was sat in front of the pretty woman, much to her dismay. The man, he was nice. He was warm. The woman, despite her appearance, was not. She was cold – she flinched when Kai plopped Anna in front of her.

He took the other horse, and the guards led the big one that had been tied to the carriage. They had no saddle, and Anna doubted anyone was big enough to handle the beast in the first place.

She'd never ridden a horse before. She was more used to moving out of their way as some noble came thundering through, or the guards had a parade in town, showing off. The only time she'd touched one, it bit her. She still had the scar on her hand.

But the horse she was riding was calm and didn't jolt around too much. That, and it was nice, being off the cold snow.

Despite the cold attitude of the woman behind her, she was still a warm body, and Anna found that with the comfort of contact and rocking of the horse, she could just nod off to sleep.

And so, she did.

* * *

Elsa felt the moment the girl dropped off, because she almost did so literally, too. It was only Elsa's quick reflexes that had the girl remaining in her seat. She shot a dirty look to Kai.

"This is kidnapping," she said acerbically. He ignored her. She wasn't surprised.

What did surprise her was, when she bothered to think on it, how light the girl felt in her arms. Yes, she was young, and yes, she was short, but Heaven's above, that didn't mean she wasn't _tiny_. Elsa had little experience with children, but even she knew that, usually, they were much bigger than this girl.

Her arms, wrapped as they were around the girl's small figure, tightened just a little bit. How long had it been since she had truly touched another person? Of course, her powers were not the unruly curse they had been. The gloves and, at times, her own anhedonia, were enough to blanket them. It didn't make her safe. It just made her less dangerous.

And yet, as her fingers curled slightly, she could feel the ice receding. The ever-present chill in her veins was not as potent, and for the first time in many years, she felt… warm. Perhaps 'not cold' was a better assessment, but it was something also better than she'd had for many years.

It was amazing, she mused. Something maternal, perhaps, in her magic. Or perhaps something in the child. She'd never been able to temper her magic, and yet a vulnerable girl, needing some care, had managed to do just that.

Elsa remained lost in thought until they arrived at the castle. She passed the girl to one guard, and was just about to get the other to find Gerda when the old woman came running down the hall.

"Oh, Your Majesty! Where have you been?" she cried. Without thinking, Elsa put her finger to her lips and let out a _shhhh_ that echoed harshly in the hallway.

"Please keep your voice down, Gerda," she asked. "And please, we are fine. Would you be able to make up a guest room, and perhaps run a bath? Kai," she turned to the manservant, "could you ask the cooks to prepare a hot meal for the girl? And yourself, of course."

He bowed, and Elsa nodded her dismissal. She had only taken a few steps when Kai spoke up.

"Your Majesty, what of yourself?"

Elsa didn't answer with words; she just shook her head. "Bring the girl to my chambers when she wakes up," she said softly.

Within seconds, she was out of sight, and Kai turned his attention to the girl. Anna. Even asleep, she shivered like a leaf in a summer storm.

Though Elsa hadn't mentioned it, he decided to take a minor detour before reaching the kitchens. There was, after all, no way a hot meal would warm the girl up while she was still dressed in that attire.


	4. Clean

_obviously i have no idea who elsa is in this story like how does she feel about her powers? people? she has some control because she still lives in fear? hmm_

* * *

Despite asking Kai, Elsa was still unprepared for when he brought the girl to her chamber, carrying a small bundle of cloth. The girl was holding his hand, looking absolutely exhausted. She seemed to have woken up a little, though, and was glancing around the room with a curious eye.

A quick glance to the clock told Elsa that she had only been asleep for perhaps half an hour – just enough time for Gerda to prepare a bath and for dinner to be cooked.

A maid followed closely behind him, carrying a tray with two large bowls of soup, and some bread and butter.

Elsa watched as the girl's hand left Kai's, and she took a few tentative steps forward. The maid placed the food on Elsa's desk and retreated from the room as Kai handed her the cloth. It was… well, it was her clothes. Her old clothes.

He sat the girl on the seat across from Elsa – the seat reserved, usually, for businessmen or nobles when they came to discuss some trifling matter. He gave a small bow.

"Gerda has drawn a bath in the eastern guest bathhouse, Your Majesty. If that will be all…" he said. Anna let out a gasp, little hands flying to her mouth as she looked at Elsa with wide eyes.

"You're the _Queen_?" she asked, voice laced with awe. Elsa smiled at her and nodded, but turned to Kai to answer.

"That's fine, Kai," she said. "Could you please send in a maid to show Miss Anna the way?"

In her peripheral vision, she saw Anna look down at her rags, tugging on them self-consciously. Kai just looked confused.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but all the maids have retired to bed. I can, of course, wake one, if you feel you need someone else to help?"

It was a dig at her, she knew, but before she could speak up, Anna beat her.

"I can dress myself," she said proudly. "Papa always made me put on my nicest dress when we went to church!" She grinned at Elsa, who returned the expression weakly.

"That's all, Kai," she said finally, and he left the room, bidding them good night.

Elsa's fingers curled in her gloves. She could feel the magic thrumming there, waiting patiently below the surface. Rousing herself, she pulled the tray of food over.

The maid had given them spoons for the soup, and some knives and butter for the bread.

Anna ignored them completely.

Grabbing a piece of bread, she tore it into little chunks and used dunked it in the soup. In this way, she'd finished a good portion of it before Elsa had even been able to take a sip, the hot liquid too close to burning her tongue. She could have used her powers, but that would mean she'd have to show the girl; no one knew she could control and create ice and snow, and she wanted to keep it that way.

Another strange thing was that Anna didn't speak. She ate as quickly as she could, eyes glancing to Elsa's plate every so often. At first, Elsa thought she was merely still hungry – but when she slowed and stopped, a good third of her soup left, that thought went out the window.

"Full?" Elsa asked, for lack of anything better to say. How does one speak to children? But Anna shook her head.

"Papa said that children shouldn't finish their meals," she recited. "It has to go to adults because they're bigger."

Elsa frowned, spoon coming to rest in her soup. "The cook gave me an extra-big portion," she lied. "So you don't need to leave any. Eat as much as you want, Anna."

The way the girl's eyes lit up had Elsa's heart breaking, and she finished her soup with gusto. Elsa found she'd completely lost her appetite.

After they'd both finished and wiped their faces, Elsa picked up the clothes Kai had picked out for Anna, and led her down the hallway. She'd seemed to have found her voice, because she kept talking. Talking to Elsa, to the pictures; she'd asked about an especially well-done piece of art on Jeanne d'Arc, and Elsa had given her the less-violent story.

The bath was still hot, and after ensuring that Anna knew how to bathe, Elsa sat to the side and began looking through the clothing, trying to find the most suitable outfit. She wasn't expecting the scream that echoed through the chamber.

"Anna?!"

Anna looked at her, standing on one step, eyes wide in wonder. "It's hot!" she cried, smiling.

Elsa couldn't help but smile along with her.


End file.
